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"Apocalypse Now" is my all-time favorite movie. Reading Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" reveals a lot of the mystery behind Apocalypse. The time and place setting has been changed from a turn of the century African Congo to the Vietnam War, from European imperialism to US Military-intervention, but the core "spirit" of both stories is essentially the same: a nightmarish journey to our primeval roots in pre-history (hence the title: "Heart of Darkness"). Many movie-goers who never read Conrad's novel tend to miss the core central theme of the film.
True. And it's an incredible core theme. But a lot of people get lost into what they find in their own journey, and make it their own thing, and that is powerful too. Also, many film people (both film makers and audiences) tend to be very "monolingual" in their medium consumption: they tangibly struggle to engage any non-visual medium, often with proclaimed artistically justified defiance. And often the more adventurist among them are defined by their flaunted extravagance in tackling such monumental undertakings as short stories, comic books, or fortune cookies. ;)
I think the brilliant thing about Martin Sheen's performance is that he is mostly detached from the action. At times he appears as though he is completely puzzled by what he is seeing and experiencing. I don't think his character actually DOES anything until the last few minutes of the film.
The scene where Willard is given his orders early in the film is a great and often overlooked scene. "Terminate....the Colonel?" -"Terminate, with extreme prejudice".
The next line after the iconic Napalm speech is what makes this whole movie work: "Someday this war is gonna End". That line is the secret kernel that means so much and so many people miss.
The first time I saw this movie was still in the theaters, sometime around 1981 . I took some LSD and walked five miles through a Wisconsin blizzard. There is no way to describe what it was like having Marlon Brando telling me "You must make a friend of horror and moral terror" while having my own "Lysergic Peak." It occurred to me that Col. Kurtz has some very valid points. He was a warrior. This was his essence as a human being. Yet, he was forced to take his orders from people whom he knew to be cowards, liars, and hypocrites whom he couldn't possibly respect. After the traumatic experience that cracked his sanity, he made the irreversible decision to be what he knew he was, and accept the consequences without regret. Willard understood this, not only because he was a warrior, but because he had reached the same turning point.
I think it’s insane that Coppola went on a run that included The Godfather Parts 1 and 2, Apocalypse Now, and, as a little side project, The Conversation. Dude could make nothing but trash from now until the moment he dies and he’ll still be one of the greatest directors ever just from that one run alone.
@@CaptainMorganThe3rd My favorite Altman films are The Long Goodbye; Nashville; 3 Women; McCabe and Mrs Miller; MASH; The Player; and Gosford Park. Let me know what you think about these.
You're so on point with the idea based upon Paulie's quote from the Sopranos: "in the midst of death we are in life, or is it the other way round" that's exactly it. Francis heard from Veterans coming back from Vietnam talk about the war, they said it's ultimate hell, even worse than hell......but, in the midst of that, in the height of that anxiety you can witness a sunset, their senses were SO heightened that the light would bounce off a water lily and it's more beautiful than ever because of that anxiety. Francis used this as an odd ironic juxtaposition for the film's throughline. The pro / anti war perspective I totally agree with too, it's not about that at all. All very well said:) Kurtz embraced the chaos, he's the devil, as did Willard when he killed the girl on the boat (an amazing conflict scene). Think about it, they want an American to kill another American, and not just any American, a war hero, a General, this guy could of been leader of the free world, A Colin Powell esq person, and they want to kill him because he fled to Laos? Kilgor massacres an entire village to go surfing, calls in an air strike to kill em all for some surfing and the US army doesn't bat an eye, and that's why it's arguably the greatest sequence in the film, if Kilgor does that and they let him, what the hell did Kurtz do that they want him dead, it escalates the question of why they want him dead. notice that after Willard killed her, no one went water skiing, no sense of clinging to normality in any way, no more rules, chaos up rooted it's ugly head and it doesn't go away. Who do you send to kill the devil?...another devil.
You should review some films of Aki Kaurismaki. He's from Finland and is mostly known in Europe. He's won awards at Cannes, Berlin etc. Kaurismaki has done many movies but some of his critically acclaimed ones are the "Drifting Clouds"(1996), "The Man Without a Past"(2002), and "Calamari Union"(1985)
lmao, I love him. Kaurismaki's socially conscious films are also pretty weird like himself as a person. The cinematic look of his movies is very unique.
I had the privilege of seeing this in IMAX last year and it was easily one of the greatest cinematic experiences I have ever had. One thing you don’t realize until you see it on the big screen is how unbelievably huge the sound design is. I’m not sure I have ever felt a movie so viscerally and yet that heightened spirituality came through just as strong. It was remarkable. Definitely in my top 10 of all time.
I saw Apocalypse Now in the movies when I was a young soldier stationed at FT. Clayton, Panama. For a soldier at that time it was absolutely mesmerizing. My brother 3 years younger than I loved it also and he eventually enlisted in the Marines. He would listen to the movie soundtrack almost every night.
I recommend watching Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which is a documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, containing a lot of footage that Coppola's wife shot while they were in the jungle. It shows him slowly breaking down, and all the problems he had to overcome to make the movie (like Brando's diva behavior).
Heat of Darkness is a superb documentary . . . . can you imagine if Harvey Keitel kept the role . . . . Martin Sheen had a career best performance . . . . it wouldn't have been the same film
For all its grand action, violence, death, the greatest part of AN is the ending: Martin Sheen as Willard could've BECOME the next Kurtz, a God, the symbol of ultimate power to the natives, but he drops his machete, trusts that life will prevail, and it does! The natives drop their machetes too, allowing Willard to take Lance by the hand and leave in peace!
They just announced an all-female remake with Oprah as Colonel Kurtz and Kristen Stewart as Willard. Edit: working title is rumored to be Wokealypse Now
That movie already had a "woke" character : a nameless and faceless female; the girl with the straw-hat grenade was more heroic than any of the cavalry cowards calling her a "dink" while shooting at her from the skies. Deep down, *"chief" was the only character who should've lived until the end* because he wasn't just another war criminal like the rest of them.
I never write comments but your description of the possibility of developing clarity through insanity is quite brilliant. I immediately thought that is like an inverted catharsis or something. And maybe that's why great artist go insane sometimes. The quote that I remember most from the film is when Kurtz says something to the effect of, "you can kill me, that is your right, but you can't judge me", sorry that's not verbatim but it's been years since I've watched it. I've always taken this statement to be about our innate desire for violence that has been nurtured, due to millions of years of natural selection, being completely incompatible with our current level of consciousness (Its evolution baby) Within this context,Drop the bomb, exterminate all the brutes, makes perfect sense, to me anyway, but I'm not going in to it, if you analyze something too much it can destroy the beauty.
And let's not forget that one of his earliest movies was the all singing, all dancing Fred Astaire vehicle : Finian's Rainbow. His career is rather more varied than people realise, but it's true to say that he was best with the more sombre side of life or with subjects that were personal to him. Some excellent ones that may be forgotten are Rumble Fish, The Outsiders, The Conversation and Tetro, this last one hardly known at all, but shot in stunning black and white with a mesmerising style using his own script. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but those who like it REALLY like it and it's certainly worth checking out.
Any input if the Redux version is better then the 140 minutes? Did we need it, is it making the story better? (Im thinking of re-watching the film after maaany years)
Seeing Apocalypse Now today on the big screen for the first time was a transcendental experience. It moved me in an extremely horrific way. Absolutely hypnotic, mesmerising, magnetic filmmaking.
I had the honor, to watch Apocalypse Now for the first time on the big screen at the movies in 2001, when the Redux cut was released. What an unforgettable experience that was! I swear, when the Napalm exploded out of nowhere in the beginning, while "The End" by The Doors is playing, I felt a heat wave go through the room.
Wow, You mentioned things, and described parts of that film that I barely recalled... and You convey them like a photographic memory. Keep up the good work.
I'll never forget seeing this when I was in high school. I had to sit slack-jawed and motionless for quite a while afterwards to process what I had just seen. I had never seen a film so powerful before. I've never bothered with the other edits (Redux & The Final Cut), because the original seems to so complete in its artistic vision that watching another cut seems like it would be superfluous, even if Coppola does have more to say on the subject. Regarding the war movie genre, I've often considered Apocalypse Now to be the best Vietnam film about the Soul, Full Metal Jacket to be the best film about the Vietnam War, while Saving Private Ryan is the best war film about the sacrifice of many for the life of the few, and The Thin Red Line is the best war film about Nature, and Star Wars to be the best space war film about unresolved daddy issues. What I love about this film is how Coppola situated it in a grand literary web of textual influences, yet the dialogues and echoes between those texts strengthens all of them. My recommended list for anyone who is into Apocalypse Now would be: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland Chinua Achebe's "An Image of Africa" Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse "Area Girlfriend Still Hasn't Seen Apocalypse Now"
Renegade-style filmmaking is crazy but *fun.* When I was majoring in film I convinced my friends to *shoot 8mm film stock OUTSIDE during a BLIZZARD* for 8 hours. It was black & white film & a 30 year old camera. After 5 hours I lost 2 people(angrily went home)leaving only my 2 best friends. It was *so cold* the film kept SNAPPING & breaking as it spun around the reel. So we decided to find a coffee house every 30 minutes & would *defrost* the camera with our coffee mugs. It stopped the film from breaking but NONE of that days footage was any good. I lost about $300 worth of film doing that. *Loved that day.*
I have not, sadly, watched this film. But a long time ago I studied English Literature at university. I studied "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. My lecturer did compare it to Apocalypse now. Conrad describes a journey into the "jungle" of the psyche in a journey through the Congo to find a man called Kurtz.
This is an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful review of a complex movie. Well done. I visited your website. You’re an accomplished artist yourself. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to exploring more of your videos.
Hey Maggie! Still watching, still loving all of your videos! I had an idea that I think would be really cool to see from you, if you were interested. Have you ever considered making a decade series? I know you’ve done best of the 2000s and 2010s videos, but if you did a series or a long video of your top 5/10 of each decade, that would be AWESOME! Thanks for all the great content and stay safe!
My number one film of all time, a complete psychedelic experience and journey into the heart of darkness. As you point out, this isn't really a war film, its so much more. Sure, when i was a teen i quoted it and like most of my friends we all loved all the slogans 'charlie domt surf', 'love the smell of napalm in the morning ' etc but as I've got older its become a far more psychological experience. I do think it captures the sheer insanity of Vietnam, the scene when they land, Hendrix feedback, lance tripping off his box, no one knows who the CO is. Absolute madness, but still it feels like a journey through the insanity, not a film about it. The whole end sequence is hypnotic, the slow pulsating bassline as they cruise in on the boat, its absolutely incredible. Everytime i watch this film annually, it's an experience, its absolutely incredible. I shoukd say, for me, the original is by far the best version. I cant stand redux, the whole plantation scene takes you out of the insanity. Its like being in a room with your mates doing acid & suddenly you get dragged out! Its horrible, and the extended scenes turn characters into caricatures.
too bad we'll never get a decent quality version of the workprint. There are some pretty good deleted scenes too like the photojournalist getting shot to death by colby.
Great movie. The way I have interpreted it is that we as the viewer are brought along the journey Willard's character undertakes, while executing his black ops mission, into the exploration of how far a man (or person) can go. He is looking for the boundary between the fact that we are all divine but no one person is God, the boundary between sanity and insanity. All of this is of course taking place amidst the 'circus' of the Vietnam war, moving closer and closer to the center of the maelstrom of death. In the end with the confrontation between Kurtz and Willard, I think Coppola does not explicitly answer the question. He leaves it open and invites the viewer to decide.
You express yourself very well your use of language is very good Apocalypse now was my all time favorite movie I remember standing in rain in November in Canada waiting in line to see that movie Awesome review and well spoken Cheers from Canada
I agree about the haze the film dissolves into, but not right away. The tone becomes more disconnected the farther upriver they go, from a very conventional set of scenarios at the start (we are good at war, and we will win, and here is us winning) to the darkness underneath that (shown at the "Bunny Show") to the encounter with the sampan, to the terrible "funhouse mirror" on conventional war at the Do Long Bridge, and then just dissolving into the jungle like the river does.
One of the greatest films dealing with PTSD and the mental struggle of war is 1949 12 O’clock High with Gregory Peck , excellent film you should have a watch when you get any time thanks
Great perspective. I have loved this movie since I saw it in the 80s as a teenager. Recently I discovered the novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and was blown away by it. And Apocalypse Now is the movie that seems closest to the "psychedelic allegory" of Blood Meridian. Apparently they are going to make a movie of Blood Meridian, but I wonder if ultimately Apocalypse Now will be the best movie made "about" Blood Meridian. Yes it's a different story, but then Apocalypse Now is a different story from Heart of Darkness...
This was a great video. You're an educated individual. By chance the first time I watched this film I was on mushrooms. It's funny because Kilgore is the madman & Kurtz is the one with the clarity to know what it takes, what he figured out when seeing the men chopping the kids arms off in the inaculation camp. So very well articulated by you.
I’ve had apocalypse now and the hearts of darkness documentary looping in the background for the past 8 days while I’ve been doing schoolwork. The timing of this video is so weird because my mind has been occupied by Coppola’s perseverance and going down river.... lol
you nailed it. great review. i also loved how the jungle is dangerous to all those that fear it except for the dark ops soldiers who have a heart of darkness already, and the main guy Willard, isn't a good guy. the film is so far ahead of its time, my favourite movie of all time. the dept for defense said they wouldn't supply helis for a movie that promoted the assassination of high targets or one that promoted drug use. but when would the DoD admit to assassinations or drug use in war
Damn. Some of the best comments I’ve seen on this film on CZcams, and I’ve watched a lot. Since you brought up The Doors, were you aware that Coppola knew Jim Morrison when they were both students at the UCLS Film School?
I prefer this film to The Godfather. While I greatly appreciate The Godfather, seeing Apocalypse Now on the big screen for the first time was a transcendental experience. It moved me in an extremely horrific way. Hypnotic filmmaking.
This movie is a stone cold classic . . . possibly the Greatest War (anti war) Movie of all time . . . . . thankfully the first time i viewed it was on the biggest screen available during a movie festival in Perth Australia in 93 . . . . it absolutely blew my mind
Jim Morrison did a lot of LSD. Then became an alcoholic, not only reflecting the fact that "The Doors" are depressing, but also his effort to bury his LSD experience.
My shadow is always with me, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, sometimes to the left or sometimes toe the right. Except on cloudy days or at night. (Wally Brando)
Any chance you're going to review the place beyond the pines? The reviews on yt seem to be split between loving/hating the movie. Any new informed take would be interesting
Great review. I agree very trippy and psychedelic war film that there is no other like it. Although saving private Ryan is great to. And opening scene was perfect with the doors playing.
It's not a classic. It's a masterpiece. Copolla's best. I watch it an average of once every 18 months. I never tire of it. So glad you reviewed it. Excellent review.
It's my favourite movie of all time, in the world, ever. The acid trip metaphor is very true - there is something deeply, darkly psychedelic about it, and resonates more with my own psychedelic experience than something like Magical Mystery Tour or Yellow Submarine, or even something like the Trip or Easy Rider. There is an entire cultural subset around this film that is well worth exploring - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (my favourite novel, and on which Apocalypse Now was based, although Conrad is not credited at all. Not even a 'thank you'!!!); The Hollow Men by TS Eliot, which uses the (SPOILER!!!) "Mistah Kurtz - he dead!" line in Heart of Darkness as an epigraph, and from which the line "this us the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" line in Apocalypse now is taken. Heart of Darkness also inspired China Achebe to write Things Fall Apart (another personal fave, and a response to Conrad's Euro-centrism), and which took its title from the Yeats poem 'The Second Coming'. There's the Doors connection, of course, but also Apocalypse Now was a huge influence on both Joy Division and The Clash (especially Combat Rock). I can get lost in all of this stuff, and there are of course many more connections, but I think it shows how great works of art can have an atomic energy to them that, when released on the world, can still resonate years later.
You might not know this but this is similar to Aquirre Wrath of God is FFC purposefully went for a cinematic style that was directly influenced by Aguirre. ALSO The End is my fav song of all time.
I think this movie highlights the role of the editor in the filmmaking process. I love the original version, but really don't like the later extended cuts. Martin Sheen's character laughing and joking, Robert Duvall begging for his surfboard back, flabby French outpost - these scenes really change the movie for me.
This movie realligns my depression(typically horrendous hangovers) into an acceptable emotion that becomes one with willard. Especially in that sheen was no more nor less the character punching the mirror..perhaps willard is in us all.
You must love films with your in detail reviews. Got a Quentin Tarantino type of movie mind. I recommend the book cinema speculation pretty great stuff
I agree with your analysis that the psychedelic qualities of the film are what make it transcend the usual war narrative. It takes a while to get to the death of the ego but Coppola manages to reach that point in a way that's very profound. My only quibble with you is that you did not praise the narration written by Michael Herr, the author of Dispatches. Herr's narration is like Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe dropped into a fever dream. It's one of the few instances I can think of where a narration actually added something to a film. It was that good. I think this is probably your finest review.
Hi. Just stumbled on your review of this movie by accident today, having never seen any of your stuff or actulally been aware of your stuff before. Absolutely superb. My Favourite Film, No Question and has been ever since it was released, and you've totally captured what the film was about it in it's entirety like I'm sure very few People were aware of previously. I think in general like you said we fear death because we don't know really who we are. We believe in a personal, unique and separate identity, but when we dare to examine it, we find this identity relys on an endless collection of things to prop it up. It's on this fragile and extremely transient support that we rely on for security, so when this disappears we have no idea who we actually are, which allows us to enter that near death or close to death experience. Will defo now llook at some of your other review. Absolutely Brilliant. Mark 😉
Without doubt your finest review ever. Your insight is amazing. This review should be a part of film school curricula. No one ever picked up on the spiritual elements of the film like you have. When you re-watch, notice Brando's reading "We are the hollow men. . " and the moment he says he was 'shot' by a horrific experience. There are also strange Coppola allusions tacked on, like Harrison Ford as Colonel 'Lucas', and Martin Sheen's character's name 'Ben' 'Willard', i.e., rat. This film can be analyzed forever. Great job!
Am I correct in assuming that your review is for the original 2 1/2 hour cut of the film and not the nearly 3 1/2 hour Redux version from 2001? I have both of them, and by a small margin, I prefer the original cut.
I really disliked the redux version. Didn't need the backstory of the dancers. They gave a sizzling hot performance which resulted in a riot. That's enough for me. I also didn't need an exposition of the evils of colonialism and war or whatever the dinner scene with the french family was all about. The whole nonsense with the surfboard was basically just that. The redux version really blunted the impact of the film.
@@NaughtyVampireGod I agree completely about the nonsensical surfboard scene and the additional stuff with the dancers, but I think the french plantation scene added a strange hallucinatory melancholy to the film, but it did go on a bit too long. I understand there's now a "final cut" of the film of about 3 hours which came out last year. I love this movie and will (at some point) buy that one as well.
@@NaughtyVampireGod The French plantation scene was *absolutely needed* for the oblivious American viewer at the time (or now) who couldn't understand why the French warned them to stay out, and how the *French were still "dealing with" their Vietnam long before Americans had ever heard of it.* Unlike the Americans, the French actually understood the Vietnamese (and the Algerians): the latter two being the "henchmen" of the French colonial empire who, being the two most productive colonies, also did all of the dirty work for them and knew all of their dirty secrets.
"Apocalypse Now" is my all-time favorite movie. Reading Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" reveals a lot of the mystery behind Apocalypse. The time and place setting has been changed from a turn of the century African Congo to the Vietnam War, from European imperialism to US Military-intervention, but the core "spirit" of both stories is essentially the same: a nightmarish journey to our primeval roots in pre-history (hence the title: "Heart of Darkness"). Many movie-goers who never read Conrad's novel tend to miss the core central theme of the film.
True. And it's an incredible core theme. But a lot of people get lost into what they find in their own journey, and make it their own thing, and that is powerful too.
Also, many film people (both film makers and audiences) tend to be very "monolingual" in their medium consumption: they tangibly struggle to engage any non-visual medium, often with proclaimed artistically justified defiance. And often the more adventurist among them are defined by their flaunted extravagance in tackling such monumental undertakings as short stories, comic books, or fortune cookies. ;)
Incredible how the ending leaves you unfulfilled yet complete at the same time
I think the brilliant thing about Martin Sheen's performance is that he is mostly detached from the action. At times he appears as though he is completely puzzled by what he is seeing and experiencing. I don't think his character actually DOES anything until the last few minutes of the film.
and the civilians boat
Never get off the boat
@@clarencebodicker3299 I was a kid when my dad took me to cinema to see AN . . ppl were screaming when that happened
@@NaughtyVampireGod love that 👍
The scene where Willard is given his orders early in the film is a great and often overlooked scene. "Terminate....the Colonel?" -"Terminate, with extreme prejudice".
G.D. Spradlin made that scene so great with his speaking and eye movements drinking ice tea etc I can watch that over and over
@@thunderstruck5484 Agreed. I've always admired his work.
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"
greatest line in the movie history
' Charlie dont Surf' .
And a great sodom song
For cringey internet neckbeards that completely miss the point of the line maybe
The next line after the iconic Napalm speech is what makes this whole movie work: "Someday this war is gonna End". That line is the secret kernel that means so much and so many people miss.
I agree, Duvall is a great actor, that was a bad ass line.
The first time I saw this movie was still in the theaters, sometime around 1981 . I took some LSD and walked five miles through a Wisconsin blizzard. There is no way to describe what it was like having Marlon Brando telling me "You must make a friend of horror and moral terror" while having my own "Lysergic Peak."
It occurred to me that Col. Kurtz has some very valid points. He was a warrior. This was his essence as a human being. Yet, he was forced to take his orders from people whom he knew to be cowards, liars, and hypocrites whom he couldn't possibly respect. After the traumatic experience that cracked his sanity, he made the irreversible decision to be what he knew he was, and accept the consequences without regret. Willard understood this, not only because he was a warrior, but because he had reached the same turning point.
I think it’s insane that Coppola went on a run that included The Godfather Parts 1 and 2, Apocalypse Now, and, as a little side project, The Conversation. Dude could make nothing but trash from now until the moment he dies and he’ll still be one of the greatest directors ever just from that one run alone.
Definitely!
director of the decade: 1970s, with Altman runner up
NaughtyVampireGod Just watched The Long Goodbye last night. If the rest of Altman’s work is reflective of that quality, I think you may be right
@@CaptainMorganThe3rd My favorite Altman films are The Long Goodbye; Nashville; 3 Women; McCabe and Mrs Miller; MASH; The Player; and Gosford Park. Let me know what you think about these.
You're so on point with the idea based upon Paulie's quote from the Sopranos: "in the midst of death we are in life, or is it the other way round" that's exactly it. Francis heard from Veterans coming back from Vietnam talk about the war, they said it's ultimate hell, even worse than hell......but, in the midst of that, in the height of that anxiety you can witness a sunset, their senses were SO heightened that the light would bounce off a water lily and it's more beautiful than ever because of that anxiety. Francis used this as an odd ironic juxtaposition for the film's throughline.
The pro / anti war perspective I totally agree with too, it's not about that at all. All very well said:)
Kurtz embraced the chaos, he's the devil, as did Willard when he killed the girl on the boat (an amazing conflict scene).
Think about it, they want an American to kill another American, and not just any American, a war hero, a General, this guy could of been leader of the free world, A Colin Powell esq person, and they want to kill him because he fled to Laos? Kilgor massacres an entire village to go surfing, calls in an air strike to kill em all for some surfing and the US army doesn't bat an eye, and that's why it's arguably the greatest sequence in the film, if Kilgor does that and they let him, what the hell did Kurtz do that they want him dead, it escalates the question of why they want him dead.
notice that after Willard killed her, no one went water skiing, no sense of clinging to normality in any way, no more rules, chaos up rooted it's ugly head and it doesn't go away. Who do you send to kill the devil?...another devil.
This comment was awesome
You should review some films of Aki Kaurismaki. He's from Finland and is mostly known in Europe. He's won awards at Cannes, Berlin etc. Kaurismaki has done many movies but some of his critically acclaimed ones are the "Drifting Clouds"(1996), "The Man Without a Past"(2002), and "Calamari Union"(1985)
lmao, I love him. Kaurismaki's socially conscious films are also pretty weird like himself as a person. The cinematic look of his movies is very unique.
I had the privilege of seeing this in IMAX last year and it was easily one of the greatest cinematic experiences I have ever had. One thing you don’t realize until you see it on the big screen is how unbelievably huge the sound design is. I’m not sure I have ever felt a movie so viscerally and yet that heightened spirituality came through just as strong. It was remarkable. Definitely in my top 10 of all time.
Coppola is working to make a comeback with Megalopolis. I hope he succeeds.
He has been trying to make it for over 20 years, I hope he makes it but I'm doubtful especially now
I saw Apocalypse Now in the movies when I was a young soldier stationed at FT. Clayton, Panama. For a soldier at that time it was absolutely mesmerizing. My brother 3 years younger than I loved it also and he eventually enlisted in the Marines. He would listen to the movie soundtrack almost every night.
I recommend watching Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which is a documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, containing a lot of footage that Coppola's wife shot while they were in the jungle. It shows him slowly breaking down, and all the problems he had to overcome to make the movie (like Brando's diva behavior).
Heat of Darkness is a superb documentary . . . . can you imagine if Harvey Keitel kept the role . . . .
Martin Sheen had a career best performance . . . . it wouldn't have been the same film
For all its grand action, violence, death, the greatest part of AN is the ending: Martin Sheen as Willard could've BECOME the next Kurtz, a God, the symbol of ultimate power to the natives, but he drops his machete, trusts that life will prevail, and it does! The natives drop their machetes too, allowing Willard to take Lance by the hand and leave in peace!
Bless your soul for reviewing this incredible film. One of my favorite films of all time. Hopefully Godfather is on the way in the future
Your language is very poetic.
Love your interpretation of this film.
They just announced an all-female remake with Oprah as Colonel Kurtz and Kristen Stewart as Willard. Edit: working title is rumored to be Wokealypse Now
And Elizabeth Banks as Kilgore.
Gayle King can make sandwiches
@Carlos Saraiva I thought it was pretty funny. Don't really care for "edgy".
@Carlos Saraiva This is clever and edgy though: czcams.com/video/KVbCi6MTw_U/video.html
That movie already had a "woke" character : a nameless and faceless female; the girl with the straw-hat grenade was more heroic than any of the cavalry cowards calling her a "dink" while shooting at her from the skies.
Deep down, *"chief" was the only character who should've lived until the end* because he wasn't just another war criminal like the rest of them.
I loved the French Manor scene. That dinner table discussion was memorable.
Happy to have finally found a channel that takes a deeper look when reviewing films
I never write comments but your description of the possibility of developing clarity through insanity is quite brilliant. I immediately thought that is like an inverted catharsis or something. And maybe that's why great artist go insane sometimes. The quote that I remember most from the film is when Kurtz says something to the effect of, "you can kill me, that is your right, but you can't judge me", sorry that's not verbatim but it's been years since I've watched it. I've always taken this statement to be about our innate desire for violence that has been nurtured, due to millions of years of natural selection, being completely incompatible with our current level of consciousness (Its evolution baby) Within this context,Drop the bomb, exterminate all the brutes, makes perfect sense, to me anyway, but I'm not going in to it, if you analyze something too much it can destroy the beauty.
It’s so weird to think this is the same director who made Jack
And let's not forget that one of his earliest movies was the all singing, all dancing Fred Astaire vehicle : Finian's Rainbow. His career is rather more varied than people realise, but it's true to say that he was best with the more sombre side of life or with subjects that were personal to him. Some excellent ones that may be forgotten are Rumble Fish, The Outsiders, The Conversation and Tetro, this last one hardly known at all, but shot in stunning black and white with a mesmerising style using his own script. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but those who like it REALLY like it and it's certainly worth checking out.
Every time I look at Coppola’s “discography” of movies and I see Jack I always laugh
Any input if the Redux version is better then the 140 minutes? Did we need it, is it making the story better? (Im thinking of re-watching the film after maaany years)
Seeing Apocalypse Now today on the big screen for the first time was a transcendental experience.
It moved me in an extremely horrific way.
Absolutely hypnotic, mesmerising, magnetic filmmaking.
The passion and the insanity almost literally burns through the screen.
I had the honor, to watch Apocalypse Now for the first time on the big screen at the movies in 2001, when the Redux cut was released. What an unforgettable experience that was! I swear, when the Napalm exploded out of nowhere in the beginning, while "The End" by The Doors is playing, I felt a heat wave go through the room.
My dad took me to see the original in 1979.
There was an intermission . . .
Amazing experience.
Everyone yelled "oh shit" at the tiger scene.
Damn you are incredibly well spoken and the way you can dissect a film so deeply is amazing.
I need to put this on my list to watch it again. Thank you for putting the bug in my ear. Great review as always. I enjoyed it much.
Kurtz : Are you an assassin?
Willard : I'm a soldier.
Kurtz : You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.
Wow, You mentioned things, and described parts of that film that I barely recalled... and You convey them like a photographic memory. Keep up the good work.
I'll never forget seeing this when I was in high school. I had to sit slack-jawed and motionless for quite a while afterwards to process what I had just seen. I had never seen a film so powerful before.
I've never bothered with the other edits (Redux & The Final Cut), because the original seems to so complete in its artistic vision that watching another cut seems like it would be superfluous, even if Coppola does have more to say on the subject.
Regarding the war movie genre, I've often considered Apocalypse Now to be the best Vietnam film about the Soul, Full Metal Jacket to be the best film about the Vietnam War, while Saving Private Ryan is the best war film about the sacrifice of many for the life of the few, and The Thin Red Line is the best war film about Nature, and Star Wars to be the best space war film about unresolved daddy issues.
What I love about this film is how Coppola situated it in a grand literary web of textual influences, yet the dialogues and echoes between those texts strengthens all of them.
My recommended list for anyone who is into Apocalypse Now would be:
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland
Chinua Achebe's "An Image of Africa"
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
"Area Girlfriend Still Hasn't Seen Apocalypse Now"
you should most def watch redux. then the final cut
Thanks for this 😊 I’m really enjoying the content you are putting out.
Renegade-style filmmaking is crazy but *fun.* When I was majoring in film I convinced my friends to *shoot 8mm film stock OUTSIDE during a BLIZZARD* for 8 hours. It was black & white film & a 30 year old camera. After 5 hours I lost 2 people(angrily went home)leaving only my 2 best friends. It was *so cold* the film kept SNAPPING & breaking as it spun around the reel. So we decided to find a coffee house every 30 minutes & would *defrost* the camera with our coffee mugs. It stopped the film from breaking but NONE of that days footage was any good. I lost about $300 worth of film doing that. *Loved that day.*
Wow this is such an eloquent and well thought out review. Thanks, you sum up why I love this film so much perfectly.
Excellent review / analysis, Maggie. Thank you. Fun fact: because it took years to complete it was dubbed 'Apocalypse Later' by the industry.
Very knowledgeable, insightful & articulate. Every time I watch one of your reviews I want to immediately go & watch the film.
You're, right. Maggie is always interesting and insightful in what she says, but she has outdone herself this time. It's a great review.
You verbalised my perception of the movie really well. This is basically how I experienced it and I didn't know how to put it into words.
I have not, sadly, watched this film. But a long time ago I studied English Literature at university. I studied "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. My lecturer did compare it to Apocalypse now. Conrad describes a journey into the "jungle" of the psyche in a journey through the Congo to find a man called Kurtz.
Just saw the movie because of your review. Thanks for highlighting and reviewing this movie.
This is an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful review of a complex movie. Well done.
I visited your website. You’re an accomplished artist yourself. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to exploring more of your videos.
Another great review! Apocalypse Now is one of my favourite films of all time! The acting, directing, cinematography, score etc...are all top notch!
Which cut of the film do you prefer to watch? Theatrical, Redux or Final Cut? What are some of your other favourite/least favourite Director's Cuts?
I'm surprised you didn't mention the differences in the Redux cut and the Final Cut.
Hey Maggie! Still watching, still loving all of your videos! I had an idea that I think would be really cool to see from you, if you were interested. Have you ever considered making a decade series? I know you’ve done best of the 2000s and 2010s videos, but if you did a series or a long video of your top 5/10 of each decade, that would be AWESOME! Thanks for all the great content and stay safe!
What's your favorite version? Original, Redux or Final?? Thanks
My number one film of all time, a complete psychedelic experience and journey into the heart of darkness. As you point out, this isn't really a war film, its so much more. Sure, when i was a teen i quoted it and like most of my friends we all loved all the slogans 'charlie domt surf', 'love the smell of napalm in the morning ' etc but as I've got older its become a far more psychological experience. I do think it captures the sheer insanity of Vietnam, the scene when they land, Hendrix feedback, lance tripping off his box, no one knows who the CO is. Absolute madness, but still it feels like a journey through the insanity, not a film about it. The whole end sequence is hypnotic, the slow pulsating bassline as they cruise in on the boat, its absolutely incredible. Everytime i watch this film annually, it's an experience, its absolutely incredible.
I shoukd say, for me, the original is by far the best version. I cant stand redux, the whole plantation scene takes you out of the insanity. Its like being in a room with your mates doing acid & suddenly you get dragged out! Its horrible, and the extended scenes turn characters into caricatures.
Which cut of the film were you watching?
Apparently there's a workprint version where The End is played in its entirety; this is known as "the Maggie cut"
too bad we'll never get a decent quality version of the workprint. There are some pretty good deleted scenes too like the photojournalist getting shot to death by colby.
Great movie. The way I have interpreted it is that we as the viewer are brought along the journey Willard's character undertakes, while executing his black ops mission, into the exploration of how far a man (or person) can go. He is looking for the boundary between the fact that we are all divine but no one person is God, the boundary between sanity and insanity. All of this is of course taking place amidst the 'circus' of the Vietnam war, moving closer and closer to the center of the maelstrom of death. In the end with the confrontation between Kurtz and Willard, I think Coppola does not explicitly answer the question. He leaves it open and invites the viewer to decide.
You express yourself very well your use of language is very good Apocalypse now was my all time favorite movie I remember standing in rain in November in Canada waiting in line to see that movie Awesome review and well spoken Cheers from Canada
I agree about the haze the film dissolves into, but not right away. The tone becomes more disconnected the farther upriver they go, from a very conventional set of scenarios at the start (we are good at war, and we will win, and here is us winning) to the darkness underneath that (shown at the "Bunny Show") to the encounter with the sampan, to the terrible "funhouse mirror" on conventional war at the Do Long Bridge, and then just dissolving into the jungle like the river does.
One of the greatest films dealing with PTSD and the mental struggle of war is 1949 12 O’clock High with Gregory Peck , excellent film you should have a watch when you get any time thanks
which version did you review? theatrical cut, redux, or final cut?
Great perspective. I have loved this movie since I saw it in the 80s as a teenager. Recently I discovered the novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and was blown away by it. And Apocalypse Now is the movie that seems closest to the "psychedelic allegory" of Blood Meridian. Apparently they are going to make a movie of Blood Meridian, but I wonder if ultimately Apocalypse Now will be the best movie made "about" Blood Meridian. Yes it's a different story, but then Apocalypse Now is a different story from Heart of Darkness...
This was a great video. You're an educated individual. By chance the first time I watched this film I was on mushrooms. It's funny because Kilgore is the madman & Kurtz is the one with the clarity to know what it takes, what he figured out when seeing the men chopping the kids arms off in the inaculation camp.
So very well articulated by you.
I’ve had apocalypse now and the hearts of darkness documentary looping in the background for the past 8 days while I’ve been doing schoolwork. The timing of this video is so weird because my mind has been occupied by Coppola’s perseverance and going down river.... lol
you nailed it. great review. i also loved how the jungle is dangerous to all those that fear it except for the dark ops soldiers who have a heart of darkness already, and the main guy Willard, isn't a good guy. the film is so far ahead of its time, my favourite movie of all time. the dept for defense said they wouldn't supply helis for a movie that promoted the assassination of high targets or one that promoted drug use. but when would the DoD admit to assassinations or drug use in war
Damn. Some of the best comments I’ve seen on this film on CZcams, and I’ve watched a lot. Since you brought up The Doors, were you aware that Coppola knew Jim Morrison when they were both students at the UCLS Film School?
What a fantastic review. You’ve expressed in words what I’ve always wanted to say about this movie. Thanks
Which version did you watch? I’ve seen all 3, I prefer the theatrical cut; I’m not crazy about the redux version
Stephen Machlica What’s the third?
@@arieraaphorst1998 The third came out last summer i think Apocalypse Now Final Cut
czcams.com/video/9l-ViOOFH-s/video.html
@@daveyboy_ ok thanks, definitely will check it out!
@@arieraaphorst1998 There are no new scenes its a hybrid of the 1st and 2nd
Apocalypse Now is one of the greatest war movie of all time and Coppola greatest achievement.
Greater than The Godfather thats a bold statement
@@65g4 I love the Godfather part I and II but with the circumstances that Coppola had to do with making this film. It's truly an achievement.
I prefer this film to The Godfather. While I greatly appreciate The Godfather, seeing Apocalypse Now on the big screen for the first time was a transcendental experience.
It moved me in an extremely horrific way. Hypnotic filmmaking.
This movie is a trip just by itself! 🤯
Especially considering the conditions around the making of it.
This movie is a stone cold classic . . . possibly the Greatest War (anti war) Movie of all time . . . . .
thankfully the first time i viewed it was on the biggest screen available during a movie festival in Perth Australia in 93 . . . .
it absolutely blew my mind
The Thin Red Line is a great war film also.
Jim Morrison did a lot of LSD. Then became an alcoholic, not only reflecting the fact that "The Doors" are depressing, but also his effort to bury his LSD experience.
Such an interesting analysis and take, I've a lot to think about. Thank you.
Very intriguing review. It has been a very long time since I saw this film. Time for a second look.
My shadow is always with me, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, sometimes to the left or sometimes toe the right. Except on cloudy days or at night. (Wally Brando)
Which version did you watch? I've seen them all now and the original theatrical is still my favourite but the film is a classic in any version
You should do a follow up video about Hearts of Darkness. It’s arguably more interesting than the film itself.
Any chance you're going to review the place beyond the pines? The reviews on yt seem to be split between loving/hating the movie. Any new informed take would be interesting
My #2 Film of All Time !!! Explain it so well you do :-)
The Thin Red Line review?
An old friend (RIP) called it "The Boring Red Line" lol. I thought it was a good movie though.
Not only one of the greatest movie of all time....but also the best and massive Making Of. The second best “Making Of” is The Abyss by James Cameron.
Great review. I agree very trippy and psychedelic war film that there is no other like it. Although saving private Ryan is great to. And opening scene was perfect with the doors playing.
It's not a classic. It's a masterpiece. Copolla's best. I watch it an average of once every 18 months. I never tire of it. So glad you reviewed it. Excellent review.
It's not a masterpiece. It's a magnum opus.
"yr an errant boy w a laundry list..." Great stuff ! Thanks ...from Sydney.
It's my favourite movie of all time, in the world, ever. The acid trip metaphor is very true - there is something deeply, darkly psychedelic about it, and resonates more with my own psychedelic experience than something like Magical Mystery Tour or Yellow Submarine, or even something like the Trip or Easy Rider.
There is an entire cultural subset around this film that is well worth exploring - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (my favourite novel, and on which Apocalypse Now was based, although Conrad is not credited at all. Not even a 'thank you'!!!); The Hollow Men by TS Eliot, which uses the (SPOILER!!!) "Mistah Kurtz - he dead!" line in Heart of Darkness as an epigraph, and from which the line "this us the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" line in Apocalypse now is taken. Heart of Darkness also inspired China Achebe to write Things Fall Apart (another personal fave, and a response to Conrad's Euro-centrism), and which took its title from the Yeats poem 'The Second Coming'. There's the Doors connection, of course, but also Apocalypse Now was a huge influence on both Joy Division and The Clash (especially Combat Rock). I can get lost in all of this stuff, and there are of course many more connections, but I think it shows how great works of art can have an atomic energy to them that, when released on the world, can still resonate years later.
Very awesome review by the way, sorry I didn't say that already. I really appreciate your explanation of thus.
damn your movie reviews are good..... I just keep coming back...
This is one of my all time favourites the documentary Hearts Of Darkness is also great as well
You might not know this but this is similar to Aquirre Wrath of God is FFC purposefully went for a cinematic style that was directly influenced by Aguirre. ALSO The End is my fav song of all time.
I think this movie highlights the role of the editor in the filmmaking process. I love the original version, but really don't like the later extended cuts. Martin Sheen's character laughing and joking, Robert Duvall begging for his surfboard back, flabby French outpost - these scenes really change the movie for me.
Great review!!
This movie realligns my depression(typically horrendous hangovers) into an acceptable emotion that becomes one with willard. Especially in that sheen was no more nor less the character punching the mirror..perhaps willard is in us all.
I sometimes wonder about the sacrifice of the cow in tandem with the death of Kurtz. This is deliberate in the film, but it’s open to interpretation.
This is the best review I have seen about the movie. You almost get it.
You must love films with your in detail reviews. Got a Quentin Tarantino type of movie mind. I recommend the book cinema speculation pretty great stuff
The 4k disc is amazing
You are talking straight facts about this iconic/classic Vietnam movie
Magnolia review?
I agree with your analysis that the psychedelic qualities of the film are what make it transcend the usual war narrative. It takes a while to get to the death of the ego but Coppola manages to reach that point in a way that's very profound. My only quibble with you is that you did not praise the narration written by Michael Herr, the author of Dispatches. Herr's narration is like Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe dropped into a fever dream. It's one of the few instances I can think of where a narration actually added something to a film. It was that good. I think this is probably your finest review.
How about Alien? Gladiator? Terminator 2? Raiders of the Lost Ark? Schindler’s List? Platoon? Natural Born Killers?
Intimacy with death is the greatest intimaxy; brilliant review, thank you -=)
This is my favourite Coppola movie, for me this movie has the best cinematography
"Hey soldier. Do you know whos in command here?"
Lord Lucifer
Hello, Backwards Universe Person. Great review. This and Platoon are my favorite films on Vietnam. Good stuff
watch on a mirror if this is an issue
NaughtyVampireGod
Well... it’s obviously a huge issue.
Hi. Just stumbled on your review of this movie by accident today, having never seen any of your stuff or actulally been aware of your stuff before. Absolutely superb. My Favourite Film, No Question and has been ever since it was released, and you've totally captured what the film was about it in it's entirety like I'm sure very few People were aware of previously. I think in general like you said we fear death because we don't know really who we are. We believe in a personal, unique and separate identity, but when we dare to examine it, we find this identity relys on an endless collection of things to prop it up. It's on this fragile and extremely transient support that we rely on for security, so when this disappears we have no idea who we actually are, which allows us to enter that near death or close to death experience. Will defo now llook at some of your other review. Absolutely Brilliant. Mark 😉
Without doubt your finest review ever. Your insight is amazing. This review should be a part of film school curricula. No one ever picked up on the spiritual elements of the film like you have.
When you re-watch, notice Brando's reading "We are the hollow men. . " and the moment he says he was 'shot' by a horrific experience. There are also strange Coppola allusions tacked on,
like Harrison Ford as Colonel 'Lucas', and Martin Sheen's character's name 'Ben' 'Willard', i.e., rat. This film can be analyzed forever. Great job!
Am I correct in assuming that your review is for the original 2 1/2 hour cut of the film and not the nearly 3 1/2 hour Redux version from 2001? I have both of them, and by a small margin, I prefer the original cut.
Original theatrical cut. Should've mentioned that.
I really disliked the redux version. Didn't need the backstory of the dancers. They gave a sizzling hot performance which resulted in a riot. That's enough for me. I also didn't need an exposition of the evils of colonialism and war or whatever the dinner scene with the french family was all about. The whole nonsense with the surfboard was basically just that. The redux version really blunted the impact of the film.
@@NaughtyVampireGod I agree completely about the nonsensical surfboard scene and the additional stuff with the dancers, but I think the french plantation scene added a strange hallucinatory melancholy to the film, but it did go on a bit too long. I understand there's now a "final cut" of the film of about 3 hours which came out last year. I love this movie and will (at some point) buy that one as well.
Final cut's the best
@@NaughtyVampireGod The French plantation scene was *absolutely needed* for the oblivious American viewer at the time (or now) who couldn't understand why the French warned them to stay out, and how the *French were still "dealing with" their Vietnam long before Americans had ever heard of it.*
Unlike the Americans, the French actually understood the Vietnamese (and the Algerians): the latter two being the "henchmen" of the French colonial empire who, being the two most productive colonies, also did all of the dirty work for them and knew all of their dirty secrets.
Great work!